Worst Easter ever for docks businesses

GLOUCESTER Docks dredging programme, still unfinished, resulted in the the worst Easter ever for its businesses.

Easter is an important time for the businesses around the docks with passenger boats, trip boats and those visiting during cruises all amounting to great losses as all the moorings are closed owing to the dredging that started last year but is still unfinished.

No bank holiday trade

This meant there was no bank holiday trade at all from people that usually throng the docks at holiday times, bringing in a great deal of business.

Canal & River Trust has been dredging the docks since last year to increase the depth for such as the tall ships that visit and others needing  a greater depth with the silt having prevented events.

The trust tells that the dredging by suction equipment had to stop because of migrating fish and just a small area is being dredged using the normal methods with a dredger and floating skip.

Want to see the vessels

The sandwich shop owner at the docks told the BBC:

"This was probably the worst bank holiday I have had in 12 years. You get so many boaters and holidaymakers, people who come into Gloucester because they want to see the vessels."

"Although we have had bad periods of weather in the past, I could still rely on the boats that were outside of the shop, I could rely on the people who come to see the boats."

Double whammy

But alas the dock was completely empty as the trust has closed all the moorings that caused the double whammy of no boats with their occupants visiting but also no one coming to see the boats, as there weren't any.

The dredging that had been going on for so long was also affecting businesses as customers looking out over the docks were put off without a boat in sight. Only the dredging.